Book Covers

[R. Richard]

After taking considerable flack here, I began to upgrade my book covers from text to pictures. It's working! Much of my recent sales are from books that I upgraded the covers. I'm now in the process of upgrading all of my book covers.
In the process of upgrading my book covers, I'm learning a lot about using Irfanview and a couple of other image editors. It's a lot of work, but worth it.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Watch your use of copyrighted materials. Using a picture without owning the copyright can get you in pretty big trouble.

There are services like iStock Photo that license copyrighted pics for pretty cheap, and that's what I use.

 

[R. Richard]

I mostly use Bigstock, although I'm also using a few old paintings, as well.

 

[sr71plt]

The "few old paintings" can copyright zap you quicker than anything else. (Go to an art museum and start snapping photos of the art work and count the seconds before the guards show up.)

 

[R. Richard]

I use mostly Bigstock photos for my covers. I also use public domain photos. I then add book titles, my name, borders, whatever.
When I use other types of art, I normally crop a larger image and then add quite a bit of new stuff. At some point, I have created a new image. I'm not sure exactly whre that point is.
If I were to use an LA Hysterical Socity photo of downtown LA to do a Raymond Chandler type story, I might add a shadiowy figure, with a pulled down fedora. I might change a few of the building fronts to add stories, change the color/tecture of the front, change the sky from blue to turbulent looking clouds and add a modern, traffic striped street. If the LAHS people tried to pull me into court, they would have a somewhat difficult time establishing copyright infringement.

 

[bbw4youngercocks1]

Bigstock is such a GREAT place to get ideas for book covers! A few fellow published authors who are colleagues of mine often used Bigstock for cover photos or just had someone design for them.

 

[aldonn1]

I mostly use Bigstock, although I'm also using a few old paintings, as well.

I do the same thing.. this is the simplest way ever..

 

[Darkniciad]

Look good

You're not fooling anyone, spammer.

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( Actual website censored )

Spamming for some english translation site via hidden images.

 

[Beverly1]

Well down

 

[sr71plt]

At least the spammer has a sense of humor.